Number Hockey (aka Dust Hockey)

Sent in by Emma Tempest, 1st Hayes End Girls’ Brigade Company.

1 puck or small ball (or a ball made from paper scrumpled into a ball and taped to keep its shape, don’t worry if the ball is not perfect it adds to the fun!)

2 goals (improvise using two chairs if you want or something similar)

Mark out a small hall sized playing area (think badmington court size) with goals at either end.

Fast and furious, if you are playing it as a party game use news paper batons and ball. As only two players are on the pitch at any one time the playing area does not have to be large and I’ve found it can be easily played in a small hall. Divide into equal teams who line up/sit down on either side of the pitch. Let teams know which goal is theirs and give each team member a number so that they each have an opponent on the other team who has the same number. Place the ball/puck in the middle with the hockey sticks/batons either side of it. When a number is called team members with that number have to run out grab the sticks/batons and try to score a goal. However if another number is called they have to drop their sticks/batons and swap places with the new players. This continues until a goal has been scored at which point batons and ball are placed back in the middle before starting again.